Max Kinghorn-Mills doesn’t seem particularly troubled by the songs he leaves behind. So when the Hollow Hand frontman returned from touring and realized what he’d been assembling for his fourth album no longer did it for him, abandoning the material wasn’t the crisis it might’ve been. The harder part was figuring out what would replace it.
The answer came partly from getting out of his own way. For his fourth album, Wish Road South (Loose/Soundly), Kinghorn-Mills involved drummer Oliver Newton and bassist Leo Clarke from the beginning, working out of the pair’s studio in Brighton, England. As the trio started tracking everything together, “Here Are The Tulips” provided a breakthrough that may not seem all that revelatory: the sound of a specific moment in time that could never be reconstructed at a later date.
Musically, Wish Road South plays off the newly galvanized band’s shared enthusiasms—the Clean, Violent Femmes and the Modern Lovers in particular—not to mention Kinghorn-Mills’ longstanding affection for British folk/rock. Bringing in Clarence Clarity (a.k.a. Adam Mark Crisp) to mix the album was another bit of inspired incongruity, as his art-pop and experimental-R&B leanings are a fair distance from Hollow Hand’s more rugged musical neighborhood.
Kinghorn-Mills fleshed out the details in a recent interview with MAGNET’s Hobart Rowland.
There are essentially two versions of Wish Road South, and only one exists. How difficult was it to take that hard turn?
I have no problem letting songs go. They might end up back in my life later, but sometimes, I’ll just forget about them. When I’m in the right mode, I’ll write albums’ worth of songs. Sometimes they’re easy to write in half an hour; sometimes they take months of living with before they feel right. I just recorded a song with some friends that I wrote more than 10 years ago. The melody and words had always felt worth coming back to. It’s not very practical, and there’s a lot about doing it that makes no sense at all. But I follow the muse and hope she takes my hand.
Touring with Caitlin Rose and MJ Lenderman and working with Aoife Nessa Frances exposed you to some distinct approaches to making music. Was there a particular show or experience that made you realize Hollow Hand needed to change?
Getting to play live with your friends is what being in a band is all about. We’re currently on the road touring as the band for Carson McHone, and I was discussing this with her in the van just this week—whether we prefer to be in the studio or on tour. To make a good record, I need to feel completely inspired. It wouldn’t work if I didn’t want to do it. Getting to play with other people and make mistakes onstage can go far in providing that feeling. On our recent support tours, I realized which songs felt the most fun to play live, came home to the studio and tried to imagine taking it all on the road. You have to live with these decisions for years of touring after you’ve put the music out.
“Here Are The Tulips” was a sort of breakthrough for you. What was happening there that you hadn’t been able to capture before?
Without getting too specific about microphones and engineering, we just had a really good day. I’d previously been starting the process with guide tracks, adding drums and overdubs later. When we changed the approach and set up to accurately record our studio room rather than close miking, we discovered a new atmosphere. Sometimes I’d re-record the scratch vocal later, but the acoustic guitar, bass and drums are live. I haven’t done a lot of that until now, and I’m looking forward to keeping that going where I can.
How has that changed your understanding of Hollow Hand as your songwriting vehicle versus Hollow Hand as an actual band?
I learned early on that the only way to feel really comfortable with your band is trust. You need to understand the history of the tradition you’re working with, even if it’s only to completely abandon that language.We all grew up listening to similar music. We don’t agree on all records, but we totally understand each other and all our reference points. It’s like that feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time, have a similar sense of humor and just know that you’re going to get on really well. I think playing music together is sometimes like sharing jokes around a table and making each other laugh.
Do you think you could’ve arrived at this version of Hollow Hand without first going through the frustration of making the album you ultimately abandoned?
No. I wish it was easier to get to where I want to be with music, but it’s always a struggle. If I cared less, then I’d probably put out a lot more music. A lot of my friends go through the same problems. There’s only ever one road to take—I just have to keep trying. Man, if I found this easier, then you’d be hearing a lot more from me. I’m feeling good right now, though. I have lots of music out over the next year.
See Hollow Hand live.
